Padua.A room in BAPTISTA'S house.Enter KATHARINA and BIANCA BIANCA Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself, To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;That I disdain: but for these other gawds, Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself, Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat;Or what you will command me will I do, So well I know my duty to my elders.KATHARINA Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell Whom thou lovest best: see thou dissemble not.BIANCA Believe me, sister, of all the men alive I never yet beheld that special face Which I could fancy more than any other.KATHARINA Minion, thou liest.Is't not Hortensio? BIANCA If you affect him, sister, here I swear I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.KATHARINA O then, belike, you fancy riches more:
You will have Gremio to keep you fair.BIANCA Is it for him you do envy me so?
Nay then you jest, and now I well perceive You have but jested with me all this while:
I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.KATHARINA If that be jest, then all the rest was so.
Strikes her Enter BAPTISTA BAPTISTA Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence?
Bianca, stand aside.Poor girl! she weeps.
Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.
For shame, thou helding of a devilish spirit, Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word? KATHARINA Her silence flouts me, and I'll be revenged.
Flies after BIANCA BAPTISTA What, in my sight? Bianca, get thee in.
Exit BIANCA KATHARINA What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see She is your treasure, she must have a husband;I must dance bare-foot on her wedding day And for your love to her lead apes in hell.
Talk not to me: I will go sit and weep Till I can find occasion of revenge.
Exit BAPTISTA Was ever gentleman thus grieved as I?
But who comes here?
Enter GREMIO, LUCENTIO in the habit of a mean man; PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO as a musician; and TRANIO, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books GREMIO Good morrow, neighbour Baptista.BAPTISTA Good morrow, neighbour Gremio.
God save you, gentlemen! PETRUCHIO And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter Call'd Katharina, fair and virtuous? BAPTISTA I have a daughter, sir, called Katharina.GREMIO You are too blunt: go to it orderly.PETRUCHIO You wrong me, Signior Gremio: give me leave.
I am a gentleman of Verona, sir, That, hearing of her beauty and her wit, Her affability and bashful modesty, Her wondrous qualities and mild behavior, Am bold to show myself a forward guest Within your house, to make mine eye the witness Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment, I do present you with a man of mine, Presenting HORTENSIOCunning in music and the mathematics, To instruct her fully in those sciences, Whereof I know she is not ignorant:
Accept of him, or else you do me wrong:
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.BAPTISTA You're welcome, sir; and he, for your good sake.
But for my daughter Katharina, this I know, She is not for your turn, the more my grief.PETRUCHIO I see you do not mean to part with her, Or else you like not of my company.BAPTISTA Mistake me not; I speak but as I find.
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Baccare! you are marvellous forward.PETRUCHIO O, pardon me, Signior Gremio; I would fain be doing.GREMIO I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your wooing.Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it.To express the like kindness, myself, that have been more kindly beholding to you than any, freely give unto you this young scholar, Presenting LUCENTIOthat hath been long studying at Rheims; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in music and mathematics: his name is Cambio;pray, accept his service.BAPTISTA A thousand thanks, Signior Gremio.
Welcome, good Cambio.
To TRANIO
But, gentle sir, methinks you walk like a stranger:
may I be so bold to know the cause of your coming? TRANIO Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own, That, being a stranger in this city here, Do make myself a suitor to your daughter, Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous.
Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me, In the preferment of the eldest sister.
This liberty is all that I request, That, upon knowledge of my parentage, I may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo And free access and favour as the rest:
And, toward the education of your daughters, I here bestow a simple instrument, And this small packet of Greek and Latin books:
If you accept them, then their worth is great.BAPTISTA Lucentio is your name; of whence, I pray? TRANIO Of Pisa, sir; son to Vincentio.BAPTISTA A mighty man of Pisa; by report I know him well: you are very welcome, sir, Take you the lute, and you the set of books;You shall go see your pupils presently.
Holla, within!
Enter a Servant Sirrah, lead these gentlemen To my daughters; and tell them both, These are their tutors: bid them use them well.
Exit Servant, with LUCENTIO and HORTENSIO, BIONDELLO following We will go walk a little in the orchard, And then to dinner.You are passing welcome, And so I pray you all to think yourselves.PETRUCHIO Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste, And every day I cannot come to woo.
You knew my father well, and in him me, Left solely heir to all his lands and goods, Which I have better'd rather than decreased:
Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love, What dowry shall I have with her to wife? BAPTISTA After my death the one half of my lands, And in possession twenty thousand crowns.PETRUCHIO And, for that dowry, I'll assure her of Her widowhood, be it that she survive me, In all my lands and leases whatsoever:
Let specialties be therefore drawn between us, That covenants may be kept on either hand.BAPTISTA Ay, when the special thing is well obtain'd, That is, her love; for that is all in all.PETRUCHIO Why, that is nothing: for I tell you, father, I am as peremptory as she proud-minded;And where two raging fires meet together They do consume the thing that feeds their fury:
Though little fire grows great with little wind, Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all:
So I to her and so she yields to me;
